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Winter at Thistledown Hollow: A Stand-alone, Cozy Fantasy Novel of Magic, Tea, and Found Family
- GenresCozyCozy Fantasy
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2026
About the author
Devon Yates
30 books11 followersDevon Yates has been chasing dragons since long before she started writing about them — first through the pages of Tolkien and George R.R. Martin, then through the wilds of Skyrim, and now through sweeping tales of magic and destiny all her own. She recharges on wooded hiking trails with a 2000s rock playlist on repeat, firmly believing the genre's comeback is long overdue, and shares her home with a fearless Pomeranian named Boots who is convinced he is the main character. Lately, she's writing cozy fantasy; a genre near and dear to her heart.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 25, 2026
I read the first book, and it was one of the most bewilderingly incoherent books I’ve ever had the misfortune of finishing. But this was free, and curiosity did what curiosity always does and said, “what if it’s better this time?”
I wanted answers. Had the writing improved? Had an editor been found? Had the LLM received better training?
No. To all of the above.
Now, to be fair, There's a sort of surface level charm to the book. If you skim it while mildly sedated, it works. Bread rising. Herbs drying. Snow falling softly. Tea steaming in porcelain mugs that definitely cost too much. It’s aggressively cosy in the way a weighted blanket's cosy right before you realise you can’t move your arms.
Because the moment you actually look at the words, the illusion collapses. Take this: “Everything smelled of cold and quiet—that particular scent of winter mornings when winter holds its breath.”
First reaction: oh, cute 😍 Then my brain caught up and I realised it doesn't make a lick of sense.
Does quiet have a smell? What exactly is the scent of winter holding its breath? Is winter asthmatic?
Is winter hiding under the bed trying not to alert the serial killer that was running rampant in the last book, snatching up unsuspecting characters never to be seen again?
This entire book's written like that. It gestures vaguely toward depth and atmosphere without actually communicating anything coherent. It’s like an AI was told “write poetic cosy fantasy prose” and interpreted that as “combine random shit with abstract nouns until the humans clap.”
And then we get to continuity and the concept of time, which is where reality itself seems to give up. Buckle up, buckaroos.
You'll be told the bread's rising on the counter. Then two paragraphs later that same bread's being taken out of the oven. Then they're eating the bread. Then the bread's back in the oven. And now the bread's being kneaded.
WREN. DO NOT KNEAD THE BREAD INSIDE THE OVEN. YOU WILL BURN YOURSELF.
The bread exists in all states simultaneously. Schrödinger’s sourdough.
And then there’s Emma. Emma is Wren’s 9 year old assistant. Fine. Just glossing over the child labour laws... Except in the previous book Emma was 9… and then disappeared for a few weeks and came back THIRTEEN.
I checked. I went back to verify because I thought I was developing carbon monoxide poisoning like that guy in that one Reddit post.
From book 1: “his nine-year-old sister Emma countered…" followed by “Emma returned from her own break, thirteen years old and already showing the steady confidence of a born healer…”
WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?????
Was she trapped in the fucking Phantom Zone????
And by the end of this book (which takes place over a SINGLE WINTER), Emma is now TWELVE.
Emma is a time anomaly in a pinafore.
And then Lily. In the first book, Lily is Marcus’ wife/girlfriend/romantic interest who vanishes halfway through the story like she got deleted from the draft. Now she’s his DAUGHTER.
“Three years of his daughter’s childhood memories. My cousin Lily—she’s six now." I’m sorry. What?
So adult Lily vanishes and child Lily spawns in like a replacement NPC? Is Marcus okay??? AM I OKAY?????
Speaking of adults turning into children... we also have children turning into adults. Patricia's son Oliver is now Patricia's husband Oliver. Ma'am, I think that's illegal.
Then we get Milo and Wren’s engagement situation, which is just... I need to lie down.
In book one, Milo proposes to Wren on page 142. She says yes. Done. Established canon.
In this book: “You’re planning to marry him, yes?” “We haven’t actually discussed—” (page 41)
You haven’t discussed it? He proposed. You accepted. That was the discussion. What is there left to discuss besides catering?
Then we're dragged back into THE BINDING CEREMONY. The binding ceremony that was mentioned approximately every 14 seconds in the previous book before vanishing into the void. You remember the binding ceremony? The one where time also broke completely? Where it was the day before the binding ceremony, then suddenly 3 weeks after it, then somehow the day after it? THAT binding ceremony.
Except now I can't tell if this is the same binding ceremony or a different binding ceremony because the book seems equally confused. Now it’s apparently also an UNbinding ceremony??? Or maybe a convergence ritual???
Nobody knows. Least of all the book.
Page 154: “‘So you’re saying,’ Dominic clarified, ‘that Milo needs to marry Wren during the convergence ritual?’”
And I put the book down and whispered “what the fuck is happening.”
Because apparently the only way to make the binding ceremony legitimate is through marriage. And according to page 41 Milo and Wren aren't engaged. But according to page 142 of book 1, they are engaged. Then he proposes on page 159 of this book. This man is trapped in a perpetual engagement cycle.
At this point I expect a post-credit scene revealing they're already divorced in a future timeline we haven’t reached yet.
Their romance has the momentum of mismatched socks. Every interaction's like: “I cherish you.” “And I cherish you also.”
There’s also a chapter so unhinged I read it twice just to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.
A send-off for Thea, Wren’s aunt and former inn owner who we've never met (but then she turns up out of the blue and she's apparently always been there), involves the entire village gathering and they... cry... into a bowl?
A communal grief bowl. A room full of adults taking turns sobbing into crockery.
And through all of this, the book keeps whispering about a curse.
“After thirteen years lost to a curse… (page 5). “I lost thirteen years to a curse...” (page 95). “For the thirteen years lost to a curse…" (page 183). “For the thirteen years lost to curse…” (page 187).
But despite how often we hear about it, we don't actually know anything about said curse. It's just... The Curse™. Big bad scary curse doing what curses do.
What curse? Who curse? Why curse?
Is the curse to repeat the same words and phrases again and again?
Then we get “Sarah’s friend Margaret” who's introduced in chapters 6 and 8, implying we’ve met Sarah already. But Sarah herself doesn't appear until chapter 9. So, technically, Sarah should be "Margaret's friend Sarah"?
Hugh Bramblefoot, chicken keeper, is now Hugh Whitmore, beekeeper. Same man? New man? Witness protection? WHO KNOWS. He also seems to have inherited Lily’s old role (remember Lily? The author certainly doesn't) as Marcus’ romantic interest after adult Lily was reincarnated into a 6 year old.
And the worst part is that if you don’t examine it too closely, it almost works. The atmosphere's cosy and the imagery's warm. The idea of the village is comforting in the abstract.
It’s like looking at a beautiful painting from across the room. But then you step closer and realise the eyes are melting off everyone’s faces.
I wanted answers. Had the writing improved? Had an editor been found? Had the LLM received better training?
No. To all of the above.
Now, to be fair, There's a sort of surface level charm to the book. If you skim it while mildly sedated, it works. Bread rising. Herbs drying. Snow falling softly. Tea steaming in porcelain mugs that definitely cost too much. It’s aggressively cosy in the way a weighted blanket's cosy right before you realise you can’t move your arms.
Because the moment you actually look at the words, the illusion collapses. Take this: “Everything smelled of cold and quiet—that particular scent of winter mornings when winter holds its breath.”
First reaction: oh, cute 😍 Then my brain caught up and I realised it doesn't make a lick of sense.
Does quiet have a smell? What exactly is the scent of winter holding its breath? Is winter asthmatic?
Is winter hiding under the bed trying not to alert the serial killer that was running rampant in the last book, snatching up unsuspecting characters never to be seen again?
This entire book's written like that. It gestures vaguely toward depth and atmosphere without actually communicating anything coherent. It’s like an AI was told “write poetic cosy fantasy prose” and interpreted that as “combine random shit with abstract nouns until the humans clap.”
And then we get to continuity and the concept of time, which is where reality itself seems to give up. Buckle up, buckaroos.
You'll be told the bread's rising on the counter. Then two paragraphs later that same bread's being taken out of the oven. Then they're eating the bread. Then the bread's back in the oven. And now the bread's being kneaded.
WREN. DO NOT KNEAD THE BREAD INSIDE THE OVEN. YOU WILL BURN YOURSELF.
The bread exists in all states simultaneously. Schrödinger’s sourdough.
And then there’s Emma. Emma is Wren’s 9 year old assistant. Fine. Just glossing over the child labour laws... Except in the previous book Emma was 9… and then disappeared for a few weeks and came back THIRTEEN.
I checked. I went back to verify because I thought I was developing carbon monoxide poisoning like that guy in that one Reddit post.
From book 1: “his nine-year-old sister Emma countered…" followed by “Emma returned from her own break, thirteen years old and already showing the steady confidence of a born healer…”
WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?????
Was she trapped in the fucking Phantom Zone????
And by the end of this book (which takes place over a SINGLE WINTER), Emma is now TWELVE.
Emma is a time anomaly in a pinafore.
And then Lily. In the first book, Lily is Marcus’ wife/girlfriend/romantic interest who vanishes halfway through the story like she got deleted from the draft. Now she’s his DAUGHTER.
“Three years of his daughter’s childhood memories. My cousin Lily—she’s six now." I’m sorry. What?
So adult Lily vanishes and child Lily spawns in like a replacement NPC? Is Marcus okay??? AM I OKAY?????
Speaking of adults turning into children... we also have children turning into adults. Patricia's son Oliver is now Patricia's husband Oliver. Ma'am, I think that's illegal.
Then we get Milo and Wren’s engagement situation, which is just... I need to lie down.
In book one, Milo proposes to Wren on page 142. She says yes. Done. Established canon.
In this book: “You’re planning to marry him, yes?” “We haven’t actually discussed—” (page 41)
You haven’t discussed it? He proposed. You accepted. That was the discussion. What is there left to discuss besides catering?
Then we're dragged back into THE BINDING CEREMONY. The binding ceremony that was mentioned approximately every 14 seconds in the previous book before vanishing into the void. You remember the binding ceremony? The one where time also broke completely? Where it was the day before the binding ceremony, then suddenly 3 weeks after it, then somehow the day after it? THAT binding ceremony.
Except now I can't tell if this is the same binding ceremony or a different binding ceremony because the book seems equally confused. Now it’s apparently also an UNbinding ceremony??? Or maybe a convergence ritual???
Nobody knows. Least of all the book.
Page 154: “‘So you’re saying,’ Dominic clarified, ‘that Milo needs to marry Wren during the convergence ritual?’”
And I put the book down and whispered “what the fuck is happening.”
Because apparently the only way to make the binding ceremony legitimate is through marriage. And according to page 41 Milo and Wren aren't engaged. But according to page 142 of book 1, they are engaged. Then he proposes on page 159 of this book. This man is trapped in a perpetual engagement cycle.
At this point I expect a post-credit scene revealing they're already divorced in a future timeline we haven’t reached yet.
Their romance has the momentum of mismatched socks. Every interaction's like: “I cherish you.” “And I cherish you also.”
There’s also a chapter so unhinged I read it twice just to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.
A send-off for Thea, Wren’s aunt and former inn owner who we've never met (but then she turns up out of the blue and she's apparently always been there), involves the entire village gathering and they... cry... into a bowl?
A communal grief bowl. A room full of adults taking turns sobbing into crockery.
And through all of this, the book keeps whispering about a curse.
“After thirteen years lost to a curse… (page 5). “I lost thirteen years to a curse...” (page 95). “For the thirteen years lost to a curse…" (page 183). “For the thirteen years lost to curse…” (page 187).
But despite how often we hear about it, we don't actually know anything about said curse. It's just... The Curse™. Big bad scary curse doing what curses do.
What curse? Who curse? Why curse?
Is the curse to repeat the same words and phrases again and again?
Then we get “Sarah’s friend Margaret” who's introduced in chapters 6 and 8, implying we’ve met Sarah already. But Sarah herself doesn't appear until chapter 9. So, technically, Sarah should be "Margaret's friend Sarah"?
Hugh Bramblefoot, chicken keeper, is now Hugh Whitmore, beekeeper. Same man? New man? Witness protection? WHO KNOWS. He also seems to have inherited Lily’s old role (remember Lily? The author certainly doesn't) as Marcus’ romantic interest after adult Lily was reincarnated into a 6 year old.
And the worst part is that if you don’t examine it too closely, it almost works. The atmosphere's cosy and the imagery's warm. The idea of the village is comforting in the abstract.
It’s like looking at a beautiful painting from across the room. But then you step closer and realise the eyes are melting off everyone’s faces.
February 6, 2026
Sweet story but has issues
This is a good story, but there are some major continuity issues between this book and the first book. There are also a large number of discrepancies and editing errors that disrupted the flow of the story.
This is a good story, but there are some major continuity issues between this book and the first book. There are also a large number of discrepancies and editing errors that disrupted the flow of the story.
March 12, 2026
The storyline is promising and entertaining, but there are way too many inconsistencies both within the book and between this one and the initial story. The chapters are not in chronological order, characters' names, ages, and relationships are inconsistent.
February 24, 2026
An Enjoyable Read
It was a fabulous book. The Author is gifted in storytelling. I would recommend the series to any one. Hoping for a 3rd Thistledown Hollow book..
It was a fabulous book. The Author is gifted in storytelling. I would recommend the series to any one. Hoping for a 3rd Thistledown Hollow book..
April 25, 2026
Badly AI-written (Spoiler Alert)
After reading, and mostly enjoying the first book, I can’t even bring myself to finish this one. It’s so obviously AI generated - and BADLY.
While I give Devon Yates credit for the premise, this sequel is terrible. If an author (I use the term loosely) publishes a sequel, they should make at least a cursory effort to make sure that it picks up where the other one left off. This one totally missed the mark.
1) Wren was not taught by Thea.
2) Patricia and Oliver were mother and son in the first book but suddenly became a couple in their 70s in this book.
3) Wren and Milo were engaged and planning their wedding at the end of the first book, but aren’t even engaged at the beginning of this one. Not only that, but Milo was living (and sleeping) with Wren at the end of the first book, but he’s living in his nearby cottage at the beginning of this one.
If you’re going to publish an AI-generated book, at least make a cursory effort to proofread the damn thing.
This book is pathetic.
I won’t be reading any other AI-generated offerings by Devon Yates. Given the publish dates of her other books, it’s abundantly clear that AI writes all of them.
I will save my money and attention for books written by humans.
After reading, and mostly enjoying the first book, I can’t even bring myself to finish this one. It’s so obviously AI generated - and BADLY.
While I give Devon Yates credit for the premise, this sequel is terrible. If an author (I use the term loosely) publishes a sequel, they should make at least a cursory effort to make sure that it picks up where the other one left off. This one totally missed the mark.
1) Wren was not taught by Thea.
2) Patricia and Oliver were mother and son in the first book but suddenly became a couple in their 70s in this book.
3) Wren and Milo were engaged and planning their wedding at the end of the first book, but aren’t even engaged at the beginning of this one. Not only that, but Milo was living (and sleeping) with Wren at the end of the first book, but he’s living in his nearby cottage at the beginning of this one.
If you’re going to publish an AI-generated book, at least make a cursory effort to proofread the damn thing.
This book is pathetic.
I won’t be reading any other AI-generated offerings by Devon Yates. Given the publish dates of her other books, it’s abundantly clear that AI writes all of them.
I will save my money and attention for books written by humans.
May 10, 2026
I really enjoyed this fantasy with all its magic, healing teas, the spirits of the keepers gone before, becoming part of the inn. This is a wonderful story about a community that learns to tackle its problems by working together. It is about love and loss and healing. It's about learning from the past, from nature, and learning to develop the skills given to benefit those who live in Thistledown Hollow and those who pass through.
There were some confusing elements of the story that slowed down my reading. It seemed to imply that Thea was the only Keeper who became connected to the inn. But Kip said he had seen 9 Keepers die. Another thing I found confusing was that there were 3 Silent Sisters, but they were assigned to the 4 cardinal directions. Toward the end of the novel, the fact that Thea tried to do everything on her own kept being mentioned. It didn't need to be brought up so many times in consecutive chapters. I got it the first several times. The repetition toward the end of the novel seemed to be prolonging the ending unnecessarily.
All in all, I really enjoy this book and would read another by Devon Yates.
There were some confusing elements of the story that slowed down my reading. It seemed to imply that Thea was the only Keeper who became connected to the inn. But Kip said he had seen 9 Keepers die. Another thing I found confusing was that there were 3 Silent Sisters, but they were assigned to the 4 cardinal directions. Toward the end of the novel, the fact that Thea tried to do everything on her own kept being mentioned. It didn't need to be brought up so many times in consecutive chapters. I got it the first several times. The repetition toward the end of the novel seemed to be prolonging the ending unnecessarily.
All in all, I really enjoy this book and would read another by Devon Yates.
May 6, 2026
A Magical Escape
The Inn at Thistledown Hollow was such a cozy, magical escape. From the very beginning, I felt completely pulled into the charm of the inn, the whimsical atmosphere, and the quiet magic woven throughout the story. It had the perfect balance of comfort, mystery, and heart.
The setting was beautifully written and honestly made me wish I could pack a bag and stay there myself. The characters felt warm and memorable, and the story had that peaceful, enchanting feeling that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and keep reading “just one more chapter.”
If you’re looking for a comforting read filled with magic, charm, and a little wonder, this book is absolutely worth picking up. I loved every minute of it.
The Inn at Thistledown Hollow was such a cozy, magical escape. From the very beginning, I felt completely pulled into the charm of the inn, the whimsical atmosphere, and the quiet magic woven throughout the story. It had the perfect balance of comfort, mystery, and heart.
The setting was beautifully written and honestly made me wish I could pack a bag and stay there myself. The characters felt warm and memorable, and the story had that peaceful, enchanting feeling that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and keep reading “just one more chapter.”
If you’re looking for a comforting read filled with magic, charm, and a little wonder, this book is absolutely worth picking up. I loved every minute of it.
April 5, 2026
I really wanted to like this. A magical village with healing tea, a special inn, and a talking fox is right up my alley. However, I'm noting many of the same issues I saw in the first book. So many inconsistencies, plot holes, overly saccharine prose, etc. I noted wrong names, names out of nowhere, wrong pronouns, times changes (i.e. something happening in 5 days is suddenly almost 2 weeks away). The absolute repetitiveness is horrendous and is nothing more than filler. The further I read the more I'm sure this is AI drivel the "author" didn't bother reading and correcting before publishing. Such a shame.
May 20, 2026
Seriously, imho this is NOT a stand alone story
3 stars for now. Even before I finished the first chapter, I felt like I was in the middle of another story. Like I had missed so much important information that what I was given wasn't nearly enough. I bookmarked my location and searched for Thistledown Hollow. I am just under two chapters into the "first" book and already feel like I understand more than I did. Even though, I still don't understand why Sarah knows both Wren and Helen. Please, please connect these books as a series even if someone is trying to list them as stand alone. Reading the first book is important, IMHO.
3 stars for now. Even before I finished the first chapter, I felt like I was in the middle of another story. Like I had missed so much important information that what I was given wasn't nearly enough. I bookmarked my location and searched for Thistledown Hollow. I am just under two chapters into the "first" book and already feel like I understand more than I did. Even though, I still don't understand why Sarah knows both Wren and Helen. Please, please connect these books as a series even if someone is trying to list them as stand alone. Reading the first book is important, IMHO.
May 3, 2026
A cozy, comforting read.
I enjoyed the ambiance and wisdom. I WA annoyed and disturbed by inconsistent references. In particular when Helena is talking about her spouse the personal pronouns include he, they and she, the spouse is referred to by a male name most of the time, then, once, referred to as Elizabeth?!
In the aftermath of the big ritual Helena mention having done this work for 200 years, no previous mention. How do they get from Inn to greenhouse? Is it magic, underground tunnel, or through the driving snow?
Anyway these things interrupt the flow for me.
I enjoyed the ambiance and wisdom. I WA annoyed and disturbed by inconsistent references. In particular when Helena is talking about her spouse the personal pronouns include he, they and she, the spouse is referred to by a male name most of the time, then, once, referred to as Elizabeth?!
In the aftermath of the big ritual Helena mention having done this work for 200 years, no previous mention. How do they get from Inn to greenhouse? Is it magic, underground tunnel, or through the driving snow?
Anyway these things interrupt the flow for me.
May 5, 2026
Again, I loved the concept but was constantly aware of editing misses. In the first book, Wren inherits the inn while in the city and her mother is sending job opportunities. In the second, Wren was an orphan and Thea's apprentice. In the first book Emma was Rosie's sister when they visited because of Rosie's uncontrolled magic, now she is an orphan and Rosie is the same age living in the village? And don't get me started on the backstories of Theo and the baker. Again, I loved the premise, but the editing is severely lacking. AI?
May 16, 2026
Lovely story -Needs an editor
The Thistledown novels are enchanting. It is a gentle read that is very much like drinking the perfect cup of tea. It’s only flaws, the glaring mistakes in gender words, using she when talking about Helena’s dead husband and, and the shift in time where we go from 3 days until the convergence to 9 days. Some story inconsistencies pull the reader out of the lovely rhythm of the tale.
The Thistledown novels are enchanting. It is a gentle read that is very much like drinking the perfect cup of tea. It’s only flaws, the glaring mistakes in gender words, using she when talking about Helena’s dead husband and, and the shift in time where we go from 3 days until the convergence to 9 days. Some story inconsistencies pull the reader out of the lovely rhythm of the tale.
May 4, 2026
Either very careless writing or AI
Names changed, then changed back. Repetitive scenes two pages apart. Endlessly repeated lines, like someone trying to reach a page or word count. Theory of book is good. Execution was careless to put it lightly. I actually liked book 1. It got a bit sloppy, but okay. It had a message. This, no, just no.
Names changed, then changed back. Repetitive scenes two pages apart. Endlessly repeated lines, like someone trying to reach a page or word count. Theory of book is good. Execution was careless to put it lightly. I actually liked book 1. It got a bit sloppy, but okay. It had a message. This, no, just no.
May 4, 2026
love this book!!!
I learned so much about the importance of intention in this story. I have known that intention is important in how we move through our lives and do our work, our art, our sharing of our gifts. This book helped me see this and how I can integrate intention into every aspect of my life.
I learned so much about the importance of intention in this story. I have known that intention is important in how we move through our lives and do our work, our art, our sharing of our gifts. This book helped me see this and how I can integrate intention into every aspect of my life.
Read
May 10, 2026Where was the editor for this book? Time lines that didn’t work, went from 2 weeks to 4 days back to 2 weeks, then into next month. Helena’s husband’s name and gender changed in the some sentence. Numerous people in the same rome at the inn without exception. Not stand alone many people showed up in the story and I had no idea how they fit in. More but getting lengthy.
May 15, 2026
Mixed feelings
I read the first book and was excited to see the story continue. BUT huge continuity errors kept jerking me out of the story, which is not a good thing and made it easy to put the book down. Normally I'd stop reading and move on to something else - so many books, so little time. I finished the book only to see how it ended.
I read the first book and was excited to see the story continue. BUT huge continuity errors kept jerking me out of the story, which is not a good thing and made it easy to put the book down. Normally I'd stop reading and move on to something else - so many books, so little time. I finished the book only to see how it ended.
March 20, 2026
good but
I like the first one enough to listen to the sequel, and it wasn’t even the automated voice that was the problem. The story is just so repetitive, reminding you constantly about how the first keeper gave too much, and other plot points
I like the first one enough to listen to the sequel, and it wasn’t even the automated voice that was the problem. The story is just so repetitive, reminding you constantly about how the first keeper gave too much, and other plot points
April 20, 2026
I want to like it, I like the cozy vibe. But it’s very repetitive and there are a LOT of typos. Wrong names, characters showing up without explanation or context. There’s potential, but it missed for me. I couldn’t handle reading the same thing a 6th time, so I dnf’ed it.
May 11, 2026
Love the premise but riddled with AI red flags and errors
Did Not Finish
March 31, 2026As I was listening, I noticed some mistakes were being made with the characters' storyline. I am talking like her dead husband's name changed three times in the same paragraph. I did a little looking, and it looks like this book was written with AI. I can not find anything on the author. probably because she doesn't exist. What's more aggravating is this is the second book in a series of which I really enjoyed the first one. 😡😡
April 22, 2026
A lovely second book but also some major editing issues, at least in the Kindle version.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews